Only 55.69% of budgetary funds spent so far, says Ashok

Opposition leader accuses Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of financial mismanagement, reduced grants for development programs, and temple allocations.

Accusing the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of pushing the State to the “brink of financial bankruptcy” due to mismanagement of finances, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok on Tuesday alleged the government was able to spend only 55.69% of the budgetary funds though only a little over two months were left for the financial year to end.

At a press meet here, Mr. Ashok said the government had so far spent only ₹1.79 lakh crore of the total ₹3.22 lakh earmarked for this financial year.

He accused Mr. Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, of hoodwinking the deprived communities by reducing the grants for their development.

Citing some examples, he said while the BJP government had given ₹60 crore for the Ganga Kalyana scheme of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Development Corporation in 2022-23, the Congress government had given only ₹40 crore for the scheme in 2024-25. Similarly, the Congress had given only ₹45 crore for the self-employment scheme under this corporation as against the BJP’s grant of ₹100 crore.

The allocation for the Bovi development corporation too had come down from ₹95 crore during the BJP dispensation to ₹55 crore now, he alleged. Even for the D. Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation, the allocation had been reduced from ₹190 crore during the BJP dispensation to ₹100 crore now, he said.

He alleged the Congress government had reduced the allocation to temples and other religious institutions to a mere ₹17.5 crore from the ₹274.68 crore during the BJP regime. Similarly, the Congress government had given only ₹30 crore to various mutts and temples under the Chief Minister’s Special Assistance as against ₹154.85 crore given during the BJP regime, he alleged.